People Are Using Google Maps to Catch Glimpses of Deceased Loved Ones

The feature captures people going about their daily lives.
Loukia Papadopoulos

Google Maps is great for finding directions, even spotting a location before you actually get there, but did you know it could also be used for spotting people too? More particularly, the feature has lately been used for people to see their deceased loved ones.

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A touching screen recording

Leslie Barraza told CNN she posted a screen recording of her using Google Maps Street View on Tuesday to look at her deceased grandfather's farm in Durango, Mexico. Barraza and her sister were reminiscing and exploring the streets around her grandfather's home.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, they saw an image of him sitting outside his home. This was a touching surprise.

"My grandpa was the rock to my family," Barraza told CNN. "He was the only father figure in my life, and to see him one last time gave me such a sense of comfort."

Hundreds of replies

Once Barraza posted this story to Twitter, she got hundreds of replies from people doing the same thing. They shared screen recordings of their deceased loved ones going about their daily lives as Google captured them.

Even Google responded, thanking Barraza for the Tweet.

"It's heartwarming to see Google Maps and Street View helping so many people remember their loved ones in a special way and share their memory with the world," Google spokesman Ben Jose told CNN.

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